Ipad for navigation

[Paul]

As it says above, could this be the tool for the job?

Does it have an inbuilt GPS antenna? I just cant seem to get my netbook working right with its antenna.

 

[TobyJug]

I have wondered that....


I have a laptop for in the truck with GPS...
But the hinges are being somewhat bashed..

So I think I will need to permanently build it in..
Might just go for a normal pc tucked away somewhere with a screen in the dash..


I would love an ipad only thing that would worry me is that it is a little to nice a tool to be bashed and thrown around in the truck..

 

[TonyP]

Played with one the other day in Currys and must say I do like them. If they had GPS and routable mapping that's a big plus for me. The other would be the ability to use the OS maps.

Either way I certainly won't be a early adopter of this as it's just too expensive to buy and then not be able to use for mapping

 

[Paul]

What antenna are you using with the laptop?

 

[scubadec]

Allready been mentioned on here....as a possibility....
http://www.landcruiserclub.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=7293&p=39076&hilit=ipad#p39076

 

[TobyJug]

What antenna are you using with the laptop?

this one:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=256536

absolutely spot on!
Never lost signal once... even inside most places I have a signal.

I run it with Memory Map and it works an superb..
Better than any other ones I have had before..

Shows position, speed, altitude perfectly... has about 7 satellites on average..

 

[Paul]

Cool, the one i have only works in my living room.

Are there any issues with connecting/disconnecting? Although i suppose there is no need really as its small.

What operating system are you using? I'm on windows 7

 

[TobyJug]

Cool, the one i have only works in my living room.

Are there any issues with connecting/disconnecting? Although i suppose there is no need really as its small.

I have it on an extended usb cable and then the gps taped to my rear-view mirror or sometimes the dash....
That way its in the middle of the truck and always accurate..
Plus you just disconnect the extension from the laptop and your sorted..

The Memory map laptop is on xp.... I pretty much only use that one for memory map as it was a cheap one..

 

[ignat]

I recall Andy showing me one of these and said he could keep in in the middle console and it would still keep a signal no problem.

 

[Gav Peter]

The Memory map laptop is on xp.... I pretty much only use that one for memory map as it was a cheap one..

What sort of spec is your laptop Toby? I am considering a EeePC from maplins @ ~£170 for the zigact same purpose - 8.9" screen, WTF, here's the link!!! EeePC 901

Thoughts?

 

[TobyJug]

The Memory map laptop is on xp.... I pretty much only use that one for memory map as it was a cheap one..

What sort of spec is your laptop Toby? I am considering a EeePC from maplins @ ~£170 for the zigact same purpose - 8.9" screen, WTF, here's the link!!! EeePC 901

Thoughts?

looks spot on to me that..
Just that the screen is a little small...

mine is a 1.6 with 512 memory and it runs well on that...

I just find that you need a 15" screen specially when you are navigating alone to be able to see it while you drive haha

 

[Rob]

Gav that hard disk is rather small for memory maps, 12.9GB for the whole of the UK, but you could not load all of them at once. Also I think that that is a pic of the 10" screen model.

 

[TobyJug]

Gav that hard disk is rather small for memory maps, 12.9GB for the whole of the UK, but you could not load all of them at once. Also I think that that is a pic of the 10" screen model.

true I have 40 gig

 

[Gav Peter]

Thanks for the thoughts chaps - invaluable as ever...

Hadn't considered memory size TBH Rob - I suspect I would get away with loading only the maps I required as & when. I have a large portable hard drive which currently has the maps on instead of clogging up my hard drive(s) so shouldn't be a problem.

Re the screen size, I am used to navigation (ok on roads!!!) on a 4½" Garmin Nuvii screen so 8.9" will be luxurious but a 10" screen would certainly be better. I don't want anything too big in the cockpit - I was/am hoping to build a carputer system around a 10" touchscreen but was considering a notepad as a forerunner to this as a trial...

Its really finding sommat cheaper than chips for now ;-)

 

[Gav Peter]

If only it wasn't WHITE!!!

Mind you, it would sit well in Chris's truck

 

[TobyJug]

what's wrong with white?

 

[Rob]

white PCs look like macs

 

[TobyJug]

white PCs look like macs

haha for that price I couldn't care less....

 

[Paul]

This is similar to the one i bought, but it was £215 in store

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.207-5862.aspx

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

you can upgrade the SSD's to 64GB on the eeepc's but it's not cheap.